In addition to immortality and regenerative
abilities, all Kindred have access to the special gifts
known as Disciplines. These powers, while strange and often
wonderful, only serve to further alienate the Kindred from
their mortal ties. Indeed, many Kindred, especially those
with Advanced Disciplines, become drunk with their power
and may even consider themselves to be deities when compared
to their lessers.
According to legend, the earliest Kindred had access to
the full spectrum of the following Disciplines, perhaps
even more. For evolutionary reasons, or perhaps because
of a supernatural hiccup, after successive generations,
their blood grew thinner and their powers became more specific.
Whatever the case may be, the bloodlines or clans of today
show a distinct definition in the Disciplines they possess.
While any Kindred can learn and eventually master almost
any Discipline, they will find their intrinsic or clan Disciplines
the easiest to master.
To reflect this, characters may only begin the chronicle
with Disciplines form their clan list. To learn out-of-clan
Disciplines, a character must first locate a willing mentor
who possesses the desired Discipline. Furthermore, the character
must pay an increased experience point cost for these Disciplines.
The clanless Caitiff pose an exception to
his rule. Because of their mixed heritage, they may begin
with three Disciplines except Thaumaturgy. These Disciplines
are considered their "clan" Disciplines from that
point forward. Any other Disciplines are then considered
out-of-clan and must be acquired and paid for as mentioned
When purchasing Disciplines, a character
must first master the lower levels of a Discipline before
moving on to more advanced levels: Before learning Rapidity,
for instance, a character must possess Alacrity and Swiftness.
Additionally, some disciplines, such as Thaumaturgy, have
special limitations that must also be observed. These are
listed along with the Discipline in question.
Regardless of the nature of the Discipline,
it is suggested that a character actually learn the Discipline
between sessions. This prevents the character from instantly
gaining the most efficient or effective Discipline during
play, and it helps to realistically reflect the time it
takes a Kindred to master her newly developing power.